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Background: Computed tomography (CT) is useful for evaluating the anatomical position of the adrenal gland and the presence of adrenal tumor (AT) metastasis or vascular invasion from ATs. Aim: To determine a weight-independent reference for adrenal gland size in normal dogs using CT. Methods: The medical records database of Gifu University was searched for data collected from April 2010 to December 2015 for records of dogs that underwent abdominal CT. The CT images were retrospectively analyzed using a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine viewer. The ratios of the minor axes of the adrenal glands to the height of the spinal cavity were investigated. Results: In total, 939 dogs were included. The left and right adrenal minor axes showed a moderate positive correlation with body weight (right: r = 0.61, p < 0.05; left: r = 0.54, p < 0.05). The L4 spinal cavity height showed a strong positive correlation with body weight (r = 0.82, p < 0.05). The left and right adrenal minor axis/L4 spinal cavity ratio did not correlate with body weight (right: r = 0.02, p = 0.53; left: r = −0.082, p < 0.05). The 95% confidence intervals of the adrenal minor axis/L4 spinal cavity ratios were as follows: right: 0.5–1.3 and left: 0.5–1.4. Conclusion: These results indicate that the adrenal minor axis/L4 spinal cavity ratio can be used as an index of adrenal gland size that is not affected by body weight. Patients in whom the adrenal minor axis/L4 spinal cavity ratio exceeds the upper limit (right 1.3, left 1.4) may have adrenal swelling. [Open Vet J 2023; 13(2.000): 218-224]

Beta thalassemia is the commonest inherited monogenic disorder and India forms a major part of the thalassemia belt in the world. Effective screening programmes and proper prenatal diagnosis are the only ways to eradicate the disease. Haemoglobin high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) is the screening method employed for detection of thalassemia carriers. The aim of this paper was to investigate the prevalence and demographic profiles of thalassemia carriers in Eastern India. Haemogram data was used to develop a novel haematological index for thalassemia carrier detection. This was a retrospective analysis of data collected from 21,695 individuals at thalassemia screening camps. The prevalence of the common hemoglobinopathies and their regional variations were noted. Using stepwise discriminant analysis, RBC indices were analysed to develop a novel formula to help distinguish β-thalassemia carriers from normal individuals. Out of the total population analysed, β-hemoglobinopathy carrier prevalence was around 10%. HbE was the commonest hemoglobinopathy in the region. There was no difference in the prevalence rates of thalassemia carriers amongst religious communities. The formula generated was expressed as outcome = RBCx6.59 + MCHx0.527 − (HCTx0.782 + MCHCx0.395 + RDWx0.02 + 1.365). Any integer value more than 0.5 indicated the probability of carrier status while a value less than 0.5 was normal. The formula had a negative predictive value of > 96% and an accuracy of 89%. This study provides an audit of the common β-hemoglobinopathies in Eastern India. The regional variations and prevalence of hemoglobinopathies highlighted here may guide public health efforts. The formula generated from RBC indices can be used to screen individuals prior to HPLC testing, thereby reducing overall costs of thalassemia screening in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tropical Pacific Walker circulation (PWC) is fundamentally important to global atmospheric circulation, and changes in it have a vital influence on the weather and climate systems. A novel three-pattern decomposition of a global atmospheric circulation (3P-DGAC) method, which can be used to investigate atmospheric circulations including the PWC, was proposed in our previous study. Therefore, the present study aims to examine the capability of this 3P-DGAC method to acquire interdecadal variations in the PWC and its connection to inhomogeneous air temperature changes in the period from 1961⁻2012. Our findings reveal that interdecadal variations in the PWC, i.e., weakening (strengthening) between the periods 1961⁻1974 and 1979⁻1997 (1979⁻1997 and 1999⁻2012), can be observed using the zonal stream function (ZSF) derived from the 3P-DGAC method. Enhancement of the PWC is also associated with the strengthening and weakening of zonal circulations in the tropical Indian Ocean (IOC) and Atlantic (AOC), respectively, and vice versa, implying a connection between these zonal overturning circulations in the tropics. The interdecadal variations in the zonal circulations correspond well to inhomogeneous air temperature changes, i.e., an enhancement of the PWC is associated with a warming (cooling) of the air temperature from 1000 to 300 hPa in the western (mid⁻eastern) Pacific Ocean and a cooling (warming) of the air temperature in the tropopause in the western (mid⁻eastern) Pacific Ocean. Furthermore, a novel index for the PWC intensity based on air temperature is defined, and the capability of the novel index in representing the PWC intensity is evaluated. This novel index is potentially important for the prediction of the PWC by using dynamic equations derived from the 3P-DGAC method.

Background/aim: Different tumor markers and systemic inflammation have been linked with cancer development and poor outcome. We aimed to establish a novel non-invasive prognostic index for patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) based on serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and C-reactive protein (CRP)., Patients and Methods: Four hundred and sixty-two patients curatively resected for NSCLC between 2008 and 2014 were included. All patients with a follow-up period of less than 5 years were omitted. The geometric mean of the normalized serum CEA and CRP levels was used as a novel tumor marker and inflammation index (TMII). The cut-off value of TMII was determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify the relative risk factors for survival., Results: ROC curve analysis revealed a TMII cut-off value of 0.46. The group with high TMII displayed more adverse clinical characteristics. Furthermore, compared to patients with low TMII, the group with high TMII had significantly poorer survival. On multivariate analysis, TMII was independently associated with survival., Conclusion: We established a novel prognostic index (TMII) based on serum CEA and CRP. Preoperative TMII may predict poor outcomes in patients with NSCLC., (Copyright© 2020, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

The tropical Pacific Walker circulation (PWC) is fundamentally important to global atmospheric circulation, and changes in it have a vital influence on the weather and climate systems. A novel three-pattern decomposition of a global atmospheric circulation (3P-DGAC) method, which can be used to investigate atmospheric circulations including the PWC, was proposed in our previous study. Therefore, the present study aims to examine the capability of this 3P-DGAC method to acquire interdecadal variations in the PWC and its connection to inhomogeneous air temperature changes in the period from 1961–2012. Our findings reveal that interdecadal variations in the PWC, i.e., weakening (strengthening) between the periods 1961–1974 and 1979–1997 (1979–1997 and 1999–2012), can be observed using the zonal stream function (ZSF) derived from the 3P-DGAC method. Enhancement of the PWC is also associated with the strengthening and weakening of zonal circulations in the tropical Indian Ocean (IOC) and Atlantic (AOC), respectively, and vice versa, implying a connection between these zonal overturning circulations in the tropics. The interdecadal variations in the zonal circulations correspond well to inhomogeneous air temperature changes, i.e., an enhancement of the PWC is associated with a warming (cooling) of the air temperature from 1000 to 300 hPa in the western (mid–eastern) Pacific Ocean and a cooling (warming) of the air temperature in the tropopause in the western (mid–eastern) Pacific Ocean. Furthermore, a novel index for the PWC intensity based on air temperature is defined, and the capability of the novel index in representing the PWC intensity is evaluated. This novel index is potentially important for the prediction of the PWC by using dynamic equations derived from the 3P-DGAC method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aims of this study are to determine the level of agreement of orthodontists in the management of impacted maxillary canines and test this agreement against a novel three-dimensional (3D) classification system (KPG index)., Materials and Methods: A total of 55 clinicians evaluated 18 impacted maxillary canines of variable complexity. For each case, they used a panoramic and maxillary standard occlusal radiographs derived from cone beam computed tomography. Clinicians were asked to rate each canine in one of four categories: Easy, moderate, difficult and extremely difficult. The obtained scores were tabulated and compared with a novel index rating the difficulty of canine impactions. Statistical package for the social science 17.0 was used to analyze the datasets and the kappa score was used to determine levels of agreement., Results: The kappa score was 0.437. The levels of agreement in the novel index and the clinician scoring were as follows; easy (62.73%), moderate (60.59%), difficult (61.80%) and extremely difficult (72.72%)., Conclusions: THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS CAN BE DRAWN FROM THIS STUDY: (1) Clinicians are variable in rating the complexity of canine impactions using traditional radiographic techniques. (2) The novel index shows a good level of agreement with the clinician's perception of difficulty in orthodontic cases especially at the extremes of the spectrum. (3) This index based on the 3D coordinates of the spatial arrangement of the canine may be incorporated into clinical practice.